Port Kent to Route 73: Yay, climbing again!

October 7, 2016

I was slow to get moving this morning, but even after 8:00, nobody had yet arrived to take my money, so I slipped it under the office door and started pedalling back to Route 9, ~~full of dread~~ looking forward to the day's challenges.

Google said I was going to climb 700 metres in 65 kilometres. That was okay with me because, as you're undoubtedly aware, I love climbing. Can't get enough.

When I complain about hills, I'm complaining there aren't enough. When I say my legs are aching, I mean aching for more.

The first climb was back to Route 9.

No problem, that was easy!

Keeseville appeared to consist almost entirely of motels. I counted six, and only about 10 houses.

Followed by:

Aah! Big hill! No, it's okay, just take it easy. If that was the worst hill today, no problem.

The climbing begins as Route 9 runs alongside the interstate

Then at Elizabethtown:

Aah! Big hill! Oh, if that was the worst one today, no problem.

That continued for a while, the climbing more a test of my patience than my legs. The hills weren't so steep that I was burning my legs out, so I felt like I could climb that way all day. It was going so well that the tragedy of my entire morning was dropping a piece of my motivational chocolate on the ground.

I was chased by several dogs today, notable because I've only been chased a few times on the entire tour, none of them really worrying. But at Lewis, something silent and vaguely pitbull-shaped came after me, luckily obeying its owners scream. If you take this road, be aware of conditions.

I've been seeing lots of election signs, all low-key

After a while, the towns and dogs were behind me, the climbing going well, the Adirondack scenery gradually revealing itself. Then it happened:

Aah! Big hill! This one's a struggle, painful. But if that was the worst, I guess--Oh crap, it keeps going!

Soon after that I was on Route 73, my legs ready to end the day, my eyes not so much.

The road hugged the side of a steep hill, and a world of colour and mountains streamed by. Unfortunately, so did a world of cars. I did get a couple enthusiastic waves, but mostly the constant traffic was stressful. The shoulder was just the width of my bike, too narrow for the constant traffic zooming by on my left and the vertigo tugging at my peripheral vision to the right.

Every place there was to stop was full of people. Welcome to the High Peaks on a long weekend. I had to find a place to camp that wasn't near all those people, which was surprisingly easy, though I did hear traffic all night.

I had set up camp by 3pm, deciding there was no sense in doing any more work today, so I tried to get some writing done but mostly lay in my tent watching a tiny spider weave an invisible web above my head, marvelling at how I always managed to let tiny bugs inside.

Half an hour later, I carelessly sat up, having completely forgotten about the spider.

Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 1,486 km (923 miles)

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